"I keep telling everyone I'm sort of retiring," he said. "But I'm really going to go back to where I started, which is the more avant-garde filmmaking.

"I've made enough money so that I can finance it all myself. I don't have to worry or answer to anybody and I can just do whatever I want."

Lucas's first Star Wars prequel The Phantom Menace will be re-released in 3D cinemas tomorrow (February 9). Discussing the reasons for converting the film to 3D, Lucas explained: "Moving from 2D to 3D is like the difference between watching a film in black and white and watching a film in colour.